Conroy's Back!

Craig Conroy is a Flame again! I am hoping this will be a big spark for the team. Apparently the Wild player above is not as enthusiastic.

Seriously

So this morning I awoke to the sound of someone pounding on a door. At first I thought it might be my door but then heard a man yelling for someone and realized it was my neighbours door. He was pounding and yelling and demanding that she open the door. When she wouldn't he accused her of cheating on him. Somebody went downstairs to get security and eventually this guy's buddy convinced him that they should go since someone was calling the cops. I had a hard time getting to sleep after that 'cause my mind wouldn't stop.
My impulse when something like that happens is to somehow intervene. Kristin's point of view is that I should not endanger myself and need to let the police handle it. I recognize that my first responsibility is to my family and it may be more selfish to do something that would endanger it. I sometimes wish I was a huge guy, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything if they are carrying a weapon. Maybe it is just a kind of superhero complex.
I feel sad for those people. I pray that the woman will be safe. I feel sad for the guy who thinks that the way to get her back is to act like a psycho.
Another impulse I get when something like this happens is that I live in a crappy building. However, that is not the case. It is a brand new building, it has a 24-hour security guard in the lobby, and for the most part the people who live here are professionals who work downtown. I guess this can happen anywhere you live. People move out to the suburbs to feel safe and protected, but worse things than this still happen.

Stop talking about dongles

So I'm not entirely sure if the comments from last post are supposed to be legit or are an obscene reference. To be on the safe side I have enabled word verification.
I played soccer tonight and we pulled out a tie!! It was a well fought game.
The best news: Kristin is coming home tomorrow! Hooray!!!

Sorry for the confusion

Bluetooth is a wireless connection protocol. Most newer cell phones support it for connecting to wireless headsets. Using the following dongle:
I should be able to connect my phone to my computer and thereby get the pictures I require. I am quite pleased with this prospect of new gadgetry.

In other news I am sick again. I hate my nose.

And what a boy!

So the game was fun. I played all right. Still way too out of shape though. But I wasn't scored on too much and my team even won. However since it was an All Star game and there's not much importance to it, it felt more like playing shinny than an actual game. Still a good experience though. It's really warm in Saddledome however. I don't know how the players would be able to stand it when there's 20000 fans and all the lights are turned on and the flames are spurting out.
We got to change in the Visitors dressing room. It was fairly large, but not as fancy as you would think. You can tell that the Saddledome is an old building.
Corey and Wendy came and watched and even discovered what appeared to be a dentist chair, complete with overhead light, under the bleachers behind the Flames bench. Our theory is that's where players go when they get teeth knocked out. I have some pictures on my phone, but need to get a Bluetooth dongle to get them out, so you'll have to wait.

Hi Kris!

So I am living the bachelor life this week while Kris is visiting her family. She gets to enjoy painting while I get to enjoy....work. You may assume that I am living in squalor and eating cereal 3 meals a day. Well, sorry to shatter your illusions but the house is clean (somewhat) and I cooked dinner tonight. My biggest issue is going to bed on time.
So apparently I am an All-Star. That is, I was picked to help represent my hockey team at our league's All Star game at the Saddledome tonight. All-Star is not a term that would be typically applied to me. I was picked because we needed to send a defenseman and the first choice couldn't make it. I am just hoping not to embarrass myself.

It's About Time!

I apologize profusely for my lack of updates. Sometimes thinking about making a post gives me a sick feeling in my stomache. I'm not sure why. It's very weird. I've had that since Christmas. Eventually I just have to plow through and do it.
So, what have I been doing so since last time? Well at work we began preparing for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This was going to be our grand unveiling so we wanted the product to look as good as possible. This has made work extremely busy. The CES show is on this week and we finally have a website that actually gives information. Check it out.
I had been hoping to take a week off at Christmas but because we were so busy I was not able to, so I only had Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. On top of that, working long hours began to take its toll and I been getting sick the Friday before Christmas. I spent the long weekend with one of the worst colds I'd ever had. I felt pretty out of it the whole time. I recovered on Boxing Day, just in time to go back to work the next day. :(
Other than that unpleasantness, the Christmas weekend was pretty fun. We spent it moving from family to family and dinner to dinner so we didn't really get to spend a large amount of time with anyone, but the time we did have was enjoyable. Because of all the running around we didn't make it to the Christmas Eve service. That made it feel less like Christmas. I think next year we will try harder to make it. When I went back to work, Kris stayed with her family but ended up getting really sick so she couldn't enjoy it much.
For New Years this year we just stayed at home to relax. At midnight everybody in the buildings around us started yelling and hooting. It was rather interesting having a New Years in the city with thousands of people we don't know. I always find it funny how excited people get about New Years. To me it just feels like the last year.
So after New Years things got even busier at work. I ended up having to work for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday too which was not pleasant. This week has been better. One highlight from Saturday was going to the Flames game with Dad, Corey and Nate. It was quite entertaining. I realize that I miss watching hockey with my family. For me hockey has always been a sort of social event. I enjoy it more when I can watch it with someone and discuss it with them. This weekend Calgary vs Edmonton is on CBC. I believe that game is "must watch".

Up and Atom

You may have noticed that my License Plate Game number has not changed in quite a while. Well, it is true, I am in a slump. I just have to get out there and give it 110% and find that elusive 81!

So Kris and I inherited a tree so we decided to decorate. Since we are usually not around much for Christmas we usually don't, but traditions must start sometime. It's our first real Christmassy Chrstmas. When I get up in the morning I like to sit in the dark with just the tree lights on. I think I inherited this from Mom.

Bloc party

Just in case you were planning on getting me a Christmas and or Birthday present, I have some hints posted on the right. No pressure though ;)
So this past weekend I got a horrible case of Cold Sores. Five on my upper lip. I looked like a leper. They are mostly healed now but it was pretty uncomfortable for a while, not to mention ugly.
The really cold weather also gave me a new un-appreciation for the C-Train. The colder it gets the more unreliable the C-Train gets, so there was plenty of standing in the cold.
On the plus side Shawn and I went to the Flames game on Tuesday. Shawn had never been to one before and it was a really good game to make your first. Calgary scored 4 (technically 3) power play goals plus one even strength. It was enjoyable. Props to Shawn for inviting me! (I am not sure what props are but I assume they are propellers. Everyone wants propellers.)
I am feeling pretty settled at Headplay now. I am comfortable with the work I am doing, but still find challenges in it. Getting to know the people more is good too. Today we tested out a Nintendo Wii on our device. It is a really fun gaming system. The controller has motion sensors so you actually swing your arm to play games like tennis and baseball.

And the winner is

So I got my results back from my APEGGA test. I passed! One step closer to being a professional engineering. Yay me! Crazy week so far. I am longing for Christmas.

Ramer Weekend II

So the Ramer weekend has passed and by my account it was successful. Just look at those smiles.
We went to Elkwater which was a good middle point for Damon coming from Sask and us coming from Calgary. The hotel was quite nice, even including a heated swimming pool. There was much time spent in there. As is common with Ramer retreats there was also much games played. A classic scene below. Unfortunately everyone assumed others would be bringing games so few games were brought. We had to make up the games ourselves, i.e. coming up with our own categories for Scategories.
We even went on a hike with an actual guide and discovered the treasure of Old Baldy. Oooo.... It turned out to be a film container of coins from around the world. It was quite a nice hike, even if a little cold.
The only complaint would be it was too short, but that is the nature of a weekend.
On a totally different path, I think I have discovered a major lie in my life. I feel that at a very base level, I don't trust people. Subconsciously, I am always waiting for them to betray me. My response is to keep people from getting too close to the real me, even people who I am close to. It can be a little frustrating to get to this point though. I recognize the issue, but I also recognize I am powerless to correct it. All I can do is keep praying about it and hope that God will remove it. I am not very patient that way though and I usually just push the issue away and stop thinking about it. I guess I need to pray about that too. *sigh*
On the plus side, the Flames have won 5 in a row! Yay!

Phones

So here's a little story about my adventures with phones, or lack thereof. Kris and I don't have a home phone, we just use a cell phone. However, we only have one between us. This usually isn't an issue as I don't need a cell at work. If we are doing different things in the evening we can plan out who needs the phone. Yes, I could feel pretty smug about saving money on phone usage.
Tonight I did not plan things out very well and I had a soccer game while Kris was out with the phone and the car. A friend was supposed to pick me up for soccer but I hadn't arranged what time. I figured the solution to my problem was a pay phone, so I set out walking around downtown trying to find one. There appears to be a disturbing lack of pay phones in this city. I think it is because of that movie Phone Booth. (It's a lame movie). After several blocks of walking and some directions I did find my pay phone but was unable to get a hold of my ride. Fortunately he picked me up anyway and I only had to wait outside for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, we lost the game. The moral of this story seems to be that I need to get a cell phone.
To make this day more unpleasant I missed lunch with uncle Mal and had to eat soup at my desk. I am sorry Mal, I was punished for my offense.
All in all it was kind of a cruddy day. Not so much that I really have anything t complain about, but it's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.
At least this weekend is the famed Ramer Getaway. Here is some exciting pictures from last years trip.

It's that time of the week

So on Tuesday this week I moved to my company's main office in the Chinook area. I feel so much better there. It is much nicer not to be in a single room office. When I need a break there are more places to go rather than just the bathroom. There are more people around too and it makes it feel like an actual business atmosphere.
This weekend Kris is on a retreat with her department (Spiritual Theology for anyone not in the know) in Montana. They get to meet Eugene Peterson. She was very excited about the trip. I expect she is on her way back home now.
So that meant I had to entertain myself this weekend. I managed to work my way into a "Guaranteed Fun Night" with some friends from Mentor, or at least a partial one. I had heard about these nights but never seemed to be invited to them while I was working there. It consisted of eating ice cream and watching videos of a trip to France, but it lived up to the name. I think it is the hilarious conversation that is so fun.
On saturday Corey and Dale (visiting from Chiliwack) came over and we played Civilization: The Boardgame for six hours. Games of this type and length usually aren't appreciated by our wives so it was a good opportunity to play. I am now hoping for some time over Christmas when we can have a long game with lots of people.

Guilt

Every time I post something new I feel guilty that I don't post often enough.
I've added some photos to the post below so check them out. Last weekend Kris and I were back in Duchess for some birthday parties and such. I even had a little time to help Corey, Damon and Dad build a catapult for launching pumpkins. It was able to launch, but not very far. You really need a lot of spring to do a large launch. Unfortunately no pictures, but if you are in Duchess, head to the Ramer farm on Saturday for the Pumpkin Festival and you can probably see it. yay!
And in the spirit of pictures, here is my beautiful wife.

Goings on

So a lot has been happening lately and I will attempt to give full details here. I know I promised pictures but our camera is currently missing so you will have to wait. So as I briefly mentioned earlier two weeks ago Kristin and I moved to a new apartment.
Before the move:It is in downtown Calgary in a newer condo building. We are on the 14th floor, though it is technically the 13th...but they won't number it that.
It has a nice kitchen and a second bedroom so people can stay at our place; though not yet because we need a second bed. The view is also tremendous (though it is a little smoggy in this pic).
We are quite happy here. We have our own washer and dryer, hooray!
It's pretty cool living in a high-rise apartment. I feel like I am in a big city like New York when I look out the window and can see other people in their apartments. I've decided to start naming people. Like the guy next door a floor down who paces back and forth when he smokes on his balconey. He is, of course, The Pacer.
Then, this past week I officially became an uncle. Kristin's sister Larissa and her husband Alex had a baby girl, Selah. She is very cute. Now I'm not totally sure what my new responsiblilities will be as an uncle but I believe it will involve giant pancakes and back-firing automobiles.
This time was surrounded with studying for my Professional Engineer exam which I wrote on Monday. It was an exam on engineering ethics and law that is a requirement for getting my Professional Engineer status. I was pretty stressed out for the whole studying time. The exam went all right, but now I have to wait 6-8 weeks for the results. I also have to make an extensive application and show that I have been doing engineering work for the past 3 years.
Also over the weekend my computer died. I am writing this on an old pentium 1 laptop. Soooo slow.

Happiness is a popular blog

So I have been happy to see that more people have been reading my blog. I know there's not much to it and I don't update enough but I really appreciate the feedback. Anyone should be able to post a comment anonymously so go to it! It's been a little crazy around here lately as we found a new place to live and moved that very weekend. I have a few pics from the move that I shall post. More soon....

Talking Books

I just finished reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I used to read his books when I was a teenager and for some reason I am currently interested in reading stuff that I used to read when I was younger. I'm not sure why, maybe it has something to do with being a quarter of a century old and trying to recover my "lost youth". Anyway, some of the book is the typical Crichton stuff where people go on crazy adventures and barely survive. I guess I used to enjoy that style, but now it just seems like pulp fiction. However, the rest of the book is a discussion of environmentalism and the effects of media hype. It is really interesting. He uses a lot of scientific studies to show that global warming may not be happening but it is hyped in the media to ensure people are kept in fear. It is basically talking about the culture of fear that exists in western society. It is quite thought-provoking.
I still think it is important to be environmentally conscious, but we need to take media reports with a grain of salt.

The cat came back, the very next week

Good news. Marigold came back. At 6:00 this morning she climbed through the window. Except for meowing a lot (which she does when she hasn't seen us in a while) she seemed absolutely fine. I have no idea where she was for the past 4 days. I often wish cats could talk. I assume she was strung out on catnip and now she finally got hungry enough to come home.

Renting

So our landlord sold our apartment and we have to move out. Looking for a new place to live is one of the most frustrating things. So many crappy places. On the plus side we can look for a place that doesn't have some of the drawbacks of our current place, i.e. ensuite Laundry, a room for guests to stay. At least we have until November to find it.

Stupendacular

My posting seems to wax and wane a lot. Most of the time when I think about looking at my blog I feel my creative juices dry up and I quickly do something else.
So this last weekend I went to Duchess by myself. Kristin went to Banff with her mom and her sisters so I went home to help with pumpkin picking and hang out with my family. I wish I had pumpkin pictures to post, but I failed there. This was the first time since I was married that I had been home without Kristin. It was kind of nice to spend the whole long weekend with just my family. Not that I don't enjoy Kristin's family because I really do, but it was nice all the same.
I got to play pool on Nate's new pool table and even got to stay at his house. It was very different to get a look at what living in Duchess as an adult is like. For me it was only growing up and coming back on weekends for "mini-vacations". Anyway there was some good times around the campfire and playing Sega and much family stuff. I quite enjoyed it.
Some sadder news, our cat Marigold has gone missing for over a day now. I think it is because I am a bad parent. If cat ownership is anything like being a parent then I would be a negligent father. I feel bad. Growing up on a farm I am used to cats disappearing all the time, but this is quite a bit different. It's bothering me more than I would have thought. Gotta keep optomistic though...